Wait Is Over; Series Resumes Tonight

Blue Jackets center Brandon Dubinsky entered this first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins with 31 games of playoff experience, all of it with the New York Rangers.

Dubinsky, like most everyone else involved with this Eastern Conference pairing, found it odd that the Blue Jackets and Penguins would have a two-day wait between Games 1 and 2. The Blue Jackets went home after Game 1 on Wednesday and returned to Pittsburgh yesterday.

“It was a little different,” Dubinsky said. “Usually it’s just a day. But I think it gave us an opportunity to sit back and take a look at Game 1, look at some of the positives and some of the negatives and some of the things we needed to correct.”

The Blue Jackets had to wait five years between playoff appearances. They were OK with waiting an extra day for Game 2, which gets underway shortly after 7 tonight in Consol Energy Center.

The Penguins have a 1-0 lead after a come-from-behind, 4-3 win in Game 1 on Wednesday, but they didn’t have momentum to lose while they waited almost 72 hours to try and increase that advantage, coach Dan Bylsma said.

“The thing about playoffs – winning and losing games – there are much bigger emotions attached to it than in the regular season. I don’t know if you carry it (into tonight).

“Tonight’s outcome is going to mean splitting here or we’re up 2-0. I think that’s going to mean something. I do think there is some momentum you take from game to game. I don’t think it’s lost with an extra 24 hours stuffed in there.”

The extra time wasn’t enough to get Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno (knee) into Game 2. He’ll sit out tonight and plan to be ready for Game 3 on Monday in Columbus, a decision that will likely be made Sunday night or Monday morning, Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards said.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh-area native R.J. Umberger will return to the Blue Jackets lineup tonight after missing the opener and the final three regular-season games because of upper-body ailments.

Umberger will skate on the left side of the third line with center Artem Anisimov and right wing Blake Comeau.

It will be Umberger’s first playoff game in Pittsburgh since 2008, when the Plum, Pa., native played for the Philadelphia Flyers in a 4-1 series loss to the Penguins in the Eastern Conference finals.

“It was hard watching (Game 1), especially it being a playoff game in my hometown,” Umberger said. “You want to be out there as much as you can helping your guys. But I’m excited to be back tonight.”

Richards, who made a healthy scratch of Umberger in four games in March and April, is glad to have him.

“I’m expecting him to come out and play fast and play big,” Richards said. “What he’s done well consistently all year is that he’s gone to the net and played hard at the net. That’s one thing he’ll provide.”

Eleven Blue Jackets made their postseason debuts on Wednesday. Umberger brings 26 games of playoff experience – including 14 goals and 19 points – to the lineup. Those numbers are not something Richards disregards.

“You always look at history,” Richards said. “He’s had success and some experience playing in the playoffs, a guy that’s been through it.

“We’re looking for some help in the locker room and he’s great to have for a team that sometimes can be challenged to score goals. It’s nice to have a guy that has proven over his career that he’s been able to score.”

Umberger will take the spot of Jared Boll in the Jackets’ lineup, bumping Derek MacKenzie back to his usual spot on the fourth line Here’s how they skated this morning:

F1: Boone Jenner-Ryan Johansen-Jack Skille

F2: Matt Calvert-Brandon Dubinsky-Can Atkinson

F3: R.J. Umberger-Artem Anisimov-Blake Comeau

F4: Derek MacKenzie-Mark Letestu-Corey Tropp

D1: Fedor Tyutin-Jack Johnson

D2: Ryan Murray-James Wisniewski

D3: Nikita Nikitin-David Savard

G: Sergei Bobrovsky

The Penguins kept the same look they had in the latter part of Wednesday’s game:

F1: Chris Kunitz-Sidney Crosby-Brian Gibbons

F2: Jussi Jokinen-Evgeni Malkin-James Neal

F3: Beau Bennett-Brandon Sutter-Lee Stempniak

F4: Tanner Glass-Joe Vitale-Craig Adams

D1: Brooks Orpik-Paul Martin

D2: Rob Scuderi-Kris Letang

D3: Olli Maatta-Matt Niskanen

G: Marc-Andre Fleury

Side dishes

--According to tonight’s plan, the Blue Jackets will not fool around in the neutral zone, where turnovers were an issue on Wednesday. Puck out, forecheck in. “That has to be part of our game, but that doesn’t mean (dumping the puck) is automatic,” Letestu said. “If there is an opportunity to make a play we have that ability. But we can’t be forcing things through there. There is too much damage that can be done.”

--Single-game tickets for a potential Game 6 in Columbus will go on sale to the public at 9 a.m. Monday. Same drill as before: Sales will be limited to those with an Ohio credit-card billing address through 9 a.m. on Friday. Game 6 would be played on Monday, April 28.

--NHL teams that take a 2-0 lead in best-of-seven playoff series have an all-time record of 287-45 (.864).

--Richards said the Jackets “got their feet wet” in Game 1 and should be more comfortable tonight, no small thing for his young, underdog team. “Going through it – the crowd, the atmosphere, the Penguins, -- it’s a larger scale. I think the lesson learned is that it’s still just hockey. You have to skate, pass and shoot and try to score more goals than the other team.”

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